WEBVTT PAUL AND KATHY HAVE A TREASURETROVE OF MEMORABILIA FROM JOHNMCCAIN'S TWO FIRST IN THE NATIONPRIMARY CAMPAIGNS.THEY'VE SEEN HIS TENACITY ON THETRAIL AS WELL AS HIS HUMANITY-- TWO QUALITIES THEY SAY WILLCARRY HIM THROUGH HIS BATTLEWITH BRAIN CANCER.>> I HAVE HOPE THAT MCCAIN WILLBE ABLE TO BEAT THIS.HE'S A GREAT HERO, A GOODFIGHTER.REPORTER: THAT FIGHTING SPIRITUNDERPINS THE SPECIALRELATIONSHIP MCCAIN ENJOYS WITHNEW HAMPSHIRE.TWICE, INDEPENDENTS,REPUBLICANS, AND A GOOD NUMBEROF DEMOCRATS VOTED TO PUT HIM ONA PATH TO THE WHITE HOUSE.>> HE WOULD GO IN AND HEWOULDN'T JUST SAY WHAT THEVOTERS WANTED TO HEAR.HE WOULD ACTUALLY TALK BACK TOTHEM AND TELL THEM THE WAY ITWAS, AND THEY SAW THAT AS VERYREFRESHING. REPORTER NOW, TO SHOW NEW: HAMPSHIRE STILL STANDS BY ITSTHIRD SENATOR.FORMER MCCAINIAC SARAH STEWARTIS ORGANIZING AN EFFORT TO SENDCARDS AND MESSAGES.>> HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HE HASSO MANY LONGTIME FRIENDS, OF HISFAMILY AND HIMSELF FROM BEINGHERE FOR SO MANY YEARS, THATPEOPLE FEEL GENUINELY CONNECTEDTO HIM, AND JUST AS THEY WOULD ARELATIVE WITH A HEALTH ISSUE,THEY WANT TO SEND WELL-WISHES. REPORTER THE CHEVALIERS WILL BE: AMONG THOSE ENCOURAGING MCCAINTO GET WELL AND COME VISIT AGAINSOON, OFFERING THEIR OWNSTRAIGHT TALK FROM THE HEART.>> JUST THAT WE LOVE HIM AND WEREALLY DO.HE'S NOT JUST SOMEBODY WE MET,HE'S A FRIEND, HE HAS BEEN FOROVER 20 YEARS, AND SEND HIM AMESSAGE THAT WE LOVE HIM ANDWE'RE PRAYING FOR HIM BECAUSETHAT'S WHAT WILL GET HIMTHROUGH.TODAY THE SENATOR TOOK TO SOCIALMEDIA SAYING ON TWITTER, QUOTE,I GREATLY APPRECIATE THEOUTPOURING OF SUPPORT.UNFORTUNATELY FOR MY SPARRING

Support for U.S. Sen. John McCain poured in from New Hampshire after the senator revealed that he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

McCain is from Arizona, but he has often said that the greatest moments of his political life came in New Hampshire, a state he has visited many times during presidential campaigns of himself and his colleagues.

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Paul and Cathy Chevalier, of Hudson, have an impressive collection of memorabilia from McCain's two first-in-the-nation primary campaigns. They said they have seen his tenacity on the trail, as well as his humanity, two qualities that they said will carry him through his battle with brain cancer.

"I have hope that McCain will be able to beat this," Paul Chevalier said. "He's a great hero, a good fighter."

That fighting spirit underpins the special relationship McCain enjoys with New Hampshire. Independents, Republicans and a good number of Democrats twice voted to put him on a path to the White House.

"He would go in and he wouldn't just say what the voters wanted to hear," said Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. "He would actually talk back to them and tell them the way it was, and they saw that as very refreshing."

Former "McCainiac" and 2008 McCain deputy campaign manager Sarah Stewart is organizing an effort to send cards and messages to the senator.

"Here in New Hampshire, he has so many longtime friends, of his family and himself from being here for so many years, that people feel genuinely connected to him, and just as they would a relative with a health issue, they want to send well-wishes," she said.

The Chevaliers said they will be among those encouraging McCain to get well and visit again soon.

"We love him, and we really do," Cathy Chevalier said. "He's not just somebody we met, he's a friend. He has been for over 20 years, and we want to send him a message that we love him and we're praying for him, because that's what will get him through."

McCain took to social media Thursday, saying on Twitter, "I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support -- unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I'll be back soon, so stand by!"